


Just Right

by FicNess



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Labour, M/M, Mpreg, Mpreg Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 14:29:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8848639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FicNess/pseuds/FicNess
Summary: Harry is a week over due and really? He just wants it over.





	

Harry shifted his hips and stroked his bump gently; the pressure of the baby’s head pushing down inside his pelvis was increasing. These last two days walking, sleeping and even sitting had become an extremely uncomfortable experience for him. Their little one had dropped ready for birth, and although that meant he could now breathe easily, that was about all he could do easily. The baby was pressing in to his hips, the base of his spine, his bladder and stretching his stomach to the limit. Feet and hands were constantly batting him from inside. He hurt all over and he was tired. And now all he really wanted to do, in fact all he really could do this close to the end, was sprawl on the sofa and shift about when his current position became too uncomfortable for him.

Which was roughly every ten seconds.

Getting pregnant had been an almost complete accident; he had actually thought it was impossible for him. Well, them. It wasn’t as if they were trying to get pregnant but then they weren’t exactly not trying either. All around them their friends were, in Louis’ words, ‘spawning’ and they wanted that too. Had always wanted that. So they kind-of-sort-of-but-also-kind-of-maybe-not tried.

And tried.

And tried.

With nothing happening at all.

If they admitted they had been ‘sort of’ trying then they’d also have to admit there was potentially a fertility problem, and the problem could have always been with Louis. But Harry wasn’t going to risk his genitalia or his husbands heart by voicing that thought. Especially not when he was convinced that it was him that was the problem. Besides, he and Louis had played contraceptive Russian Roulette so often without anything happening that the decision two years ago to permanently do without it … well.

Adoption was always an option and that wouldn’t make them any less of a family.

They’d given up on sort-of trying. Neither really thought it would end up here. But it had. The long delay in conception had been just that. A delay. They were fertile after all. The evidence was currently curled up inside him and pressing on his bladder.

And now nine months down the line he had had enough, he was a week overdue and he was just desperate for it to be over.

He rubbed his bump again, finding it a little weird that the baby wasn’t responding to his touches. Normally a foot would press back against his hand, or fingers would dig painfully into his ribs. He loved those little moments despite the discomfort they sometimes caused. But today there was nothing but the uncomfortable pressure in his pelvis. He knew that meant that the baby had well and truly dropped. He had been told at his prenatal check a week ago that the baby was head down, engaged and ready. But now he was really feeling it.

Louis looked from the kitchen through to Harry, who was sprawled on the sofa with his rather large bump sticking up in front of him. He was all baby. He hadn’t really seemed to put on any weight anywhere else, just looking a bit softer all over, but his bump was big and normally very active. The last couple of days the bump had become increasingly still but Harry had become increasingly restless. He wasn’t stupid, he knew what it meant. They’d been to all the birthing classes together and he knew that Harry was close to having their baby. The forty one weeks and few odd days had gone far too quickly.

“You ok hun?” He called through to Harry, drying his hands on a kitchen towel he had slung over his shoulder.

Harry turned towards the kitchen and nodded, both hands now cupping the bottom of his bump in an attempt to ease the pressure slightly. It wasn’t working.

Louis had become surprisingly Harry-like since they had found out about the baby. A whole new protective and caring side of him had come to the fore. Ok, so it was a side that was always there but it was one that Louis normally chose to keep hidden. He watched his husband closely as he walked over to him, a smile on his face.

“You look uncomfortable.” He leaned forward and stroked Harry’s bump, his fingertips trailing over the extremely sensitive surface.

“No more than usual.” He said as Louis leant down to kiss him. The kiss was gentle, lips pressing together for just the barest of seconds. Louis leant against him, a hand on his bump and their foreheads touching, just smiling down at the life they had created. He still couldn’t believe how stunning the pregnancy had made him. Ok, so if he was honest about it Harry had been beautiful to begin with, but this was on a whole new level. He had never looked as beautiful to Louis as he did right now, nine months pregnant, massive and sprawled on their sofa.

“Maybe you should go to bed. I mean, we’ve had dinner and you look tired.” Louis placed a gentle kiss on his forehead as he spoke.

Harry couldn’t deny it. He didn’t just look it but he was tired. Carrying the extra weight was exhausting. And so was getting comfortable these days. And anyway, tonight he felt just … weird. “Ok, but you’re coming soon, right?”

Louis smiled and nodded before jumping to his feet. “Yeah. Just gonna finish putting the dishes away.” He stood there, patiently, holding out his arms for Harry to help him up. Harry shuffled forward so his legs were off the sofa and his feet were on the floor before taking Louis’s arms and allowing him to haul him to his feet.

On the way up Harry felt something inside him pop.

"There we go. You’re all …” Louis stopped talking as he took in the look on Harry’s face. His eyes and mouth were wide and he had gone pale. “Harry? What’s wrong?”

Harry looked down to the floor and then back at Louis, swallowing hard. A dark patch had spread down his legs and onto the floor. “Um … Louis?” Harry smiled and the colour came back to his cheeks, his eyes began to glimmer with excitement. “My um … my water broke.”

Louis froze. All the preparations, all the classes, all the shopping, all the research … It all went out the window and all that was left was blind panic.

“W … water broke? Now? Here? It’s … time?” He looked down at Harry’s legs to see that his trackies were soaked. Ah, so it wasn’t a trickle but a gush. He swallowed hard. This was really it. "Uh … right … um … you need to sit down? Yeah, you need to sit down, then I … I gotta call the midwife and find those blankets and … you’re having it here, right? Yeah, it’s a homebirth. So … I need to …”

“Louis!” Harry shouted. He was almost wetting himself with laughter. Well, at least if he did it wouldn’t be noticed with the puddle already at his feet. “Calm down. I haven’t even had a contraction yet. We’ve got a while.”

Louis looked Harry deep in the eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. Harry was amazingly calm, just stood there, holding his hands gently. How could he be so calm when he had just gone in to labour? Eleven per cent. The likelihood of his waters breaking before his contractions started was only a mere eleven per cent. And Harry just had to be in that eleven per cent, didn’t he?

“Ok, but … clean clothes. Yeah. I think we need to get you some clean clothes.”

“Good idea.” He laughed, looking down at the state of his trackies. ”But my pyjamas will do. They’ll be more comfortable. And anyways. It’s not like I’m gonna be in ‘em long enough to worry too much.“

Louis carefully helped Harry through to their bedroom and then eased him out of his trackies and into his pyjamas, the material loose around his swollen stomach unlike his t-shirt. He knew Harry didn’t really need the help, but right now he needed to feel like he was doing something. While Harry adjusted the pyjamas to be comfortable, Louis put a pillow down for Harry to lean his bump on and lay down on their huge and soft bed, waiting for Harry to come and lay beside him. But instead of lying down like Louis though he would Harry began to pace around the room.

"Hey, Harry.” He patted the bed beside him when he had Harry’s attention. “Come sit down.”

Harry looked at Louis and smiled then went and sat beside him. Louis moved so he was behind him, his legs either side of Harry’s and his hands resting on Harry’s bump. He began to stroke it softly. “How the hell are you so calm?”

Harry laughed and leaned back into Louis’s arms, his back pressing in to Louis’s chest. “Well, at the moment it’s not like there’s much happening. I know the baby’s coming but I’m not in any pain …” Louis looked like he was about to interrupt. “Yes, I’m uncomfortable, but so far I’ve been through worse just being pregnant.”

Louis smiled. Oh yes. The morning sickness, mood swings, tender breasts, cravings, needing the loo constantly, the pain when his pelvis adjusted to carrying the baby, Braxton hicks contractions and then the nipple thing …  
Harry loved to have his nipples sucked so it had been a bit of a shock when about two months ago he had been doing for Harry what Harry loved best and had got a mouthful, well, a bit less than a mouthful, of milk. He’d always thought that the milk only came after the baby did. Apparently not. Nipples had been a bit of a no go after that. Although he had to say that breast milk tasted sweet, and it certainly wasn’t the most unpleasant thing in the world.

“I know I probably wont be calm soon but really, Lou, we got it in there so it’s gotta get out. We’ve been to all the classes and first labours are thirteen to fourteen hours on average. We got a long way to go yet.”

“I suppose.” Louis held Harry a bit tighter and kissed his neck gently. “But you know I’m gonna panic big style when it really kicks off, don’t you?”

Harry laughed, his bump jerking slightly as he did. “Oh, yeah, I know. You’re gonna be a nightmare.”

Louis held Harry tighter, trying to calm his mind which was currently working at over a thousand miles an hour. For a few minutes he just held Harry, stroking his bump and nuzzling his neck.

It wasn’t long before Louis noticed a deep humming noise. ”Harry?“ Suddenly Harry went stiff and gripped his hands tightly, a moan escaping his lips. "Harry? What’s …” But he didn’t manage to finish that sentence before the answer struck him. The humming had been Harry. Harry was having a contraction. He was now breathing very carefully, slowly and deeply, and he could feel the bump change under his hand. It felt different, it was solid. ”Ok baby. You’re doing good.”

He let go of Harry then put his hands at the base of Harry’s back and rubbed as the midwife had taught him to at birthing class. He felt useless, he didn’t know what else to say or do. The first contraction and he was already a wreck. Harry himself was a little shocked. The ache had started small but built quickly then wrapped around his thighs, lower back, hips, buttocks and squeezed his pelvis. He counted to about thirty seconds before it began to die away as the contraction passed. Wasn’t he supposed to get a warning before they hit that hard? Weren’t they supposed to start small then build up? But then, his waters had gone and they’d said at the classes that it was after the waters broke that the contractions got really intense. Great, so he was going in at the deep end then. He leaned back in to Louis’s arms, his head landing on his shoulder.

“You know,” Harry said, “I think this is gonna get pretty intense pretty quickly.”

Louis swallowed, trying to keep calm as he wrapped his arms around his husband again, "Y … yeah, I have a feeling you’re right.”

XX

Six hours. Six hours! Louis was going out of his mind. Harry was in so much pain. The contractions were coming every ten minutes and when they struck it was all he could do to cling to whatever was nearest and breathe through it. But he was still sat there, sprawled on the sofa, as calm as ever. Between the contractions he was still playing FIFA and reading. Louis didn’t know if he was coming or going anymore. He hated seeing Harry in pain and with every contraction he expected Harry to say he needed to push, despite the fact that he knew that point was a long way off yet. He was just walking back through to the front room when he saw Harry put down the game controller, lean forwards and close his eyes. His head dropped so his chin was almost touching his chest.

“Another one?” Harry nodded and began to breathe deeply and deliberately. Louis ran towards him, putting down the cup he was carrying. He slid in beside Harry on the sofa and placed one hand gently on his bump and the other on his back between his hips and pressed with his palm. "That’s it Harry. Breathe.”

Harry leant into Louis’s hands and nodded, his eyes still closed as the contraction peaked and finally began to subside. Eventually the contraction passed completely and Harry slumped against him, breathing heavily. He turned to Louis, looking as happy as he’d ever been, and started to stroke his bump. He began to laugh when he saw the look of fear in Louis’s eyes. "God Louis, you’re a mess.”

Louis giggled slightly. He knew it was true. He was flustered and panicking. He’d called the midwife three times, each time Harry had spoken to her as well and told her he was coping and the contractions weren’t close enough together yet to be worrying him. But he’d let Louis fuss anyway as he obviously needed to, he needed to be doing something. The room, and their bedroom, were both set up ready for when the moment of truth arrived. Louis had decided to set up both rooms, just in case Harry couldn’t get to one in time and so he had a choice about where to deliver their …

“Jesus Harry!” It suddenly struck Louis that they had no idea about the sex of their child preferring to leave it as a surprise, and worryingly … “We never came to a final decision on names!”

Harry stared back at Louis, open mouthed. “Shit! You’re right! How the hell did we forget that?”

Harry couldn’t believe they hadn’t got a name ready, and now the baby was actually coming. They had clothes, a pram, a bed, nappies, bottles – they’d even painted the room. Purple was the only colour they had been able to agree on so they’d painted the walls with a pale lilac shade. Then they had fitted a light wooden floor and white curtains and Louis had spent many hours turning the room into a nursery. But for all that preparation they didn’t have a name. Ok, so to Louis it had been a little understandable. In the beginning they had been worried that Harry might lose the baby, and then when they didn’t want to know the sex they had been avoiding using 'him’ or 'her’ and then so many other things had just got in the way that the baby had always been known as 'baby’ or just 'the bump’. Harry could tell that Louis was tearing himself up, thinking he’d let their child down by not having such a vital thing ready. He took Louis’s hand and placed it on the side of his bump.

"This baby,” he put a hand under Louis’s chin, cupping it gently and tilting it so he was looking him in the eyes. “Our baby.” He placed a hand over Louis’s on his swollen stomach. “He or she is gonna have a name, and he or she will grow up safe and happy with us.” He laughed and added as an afterthought, “And with the lads as uncles.”

“Jesus!” Louis laughed. “Can you imagine? They’ll spend more time playing with its toys than it will.”

Harry shook his head, a large smile on his face. He couldn’t help but agree with that. Before he got the chance to speak again he was hit by another contraction, this one slightly worse than the last. They were getting increasingly powerful and he was starting to think that maybe getting the midwife there wasn’t such a bad idea after all. But he wanted a name ready first. He managed to breathe through the rest of the contraction, holding Louis’s hand in a death grip until it passed.

“Ok Harry. Breathe. In and out. Slowly.” His free hand travelled to Harry’s back where he rubbed, Harry sagging slightly when he hit a spot that eased the pain a little. “Easy.”

For a few more seconds Harry tried to breathe slowly, the last breath of the contraction becoming a moan of pain. Louis wrapped his arms around him, pulling him in to a cuddle when he saw the pain leave his face and felt his stomach soften under his hand. He used his sleeve to wipe Harry’s brow.

“So.” Louis put both hands on Harry’s bump. One on either side. “You had any thoughts about names?”

“One or two.”

Louis took one look at Harry’s face, his sly smile, and spoke. “Oh no. Hell no.”

“What?” Harry tried to look innocent.

“We are not naming our kid after one of your musicians! They all have grandad names they’re so old.”

Harry laughed. "You got any ideas then?”

“Yeah actually.” Louis blushed. “I like Catherine for a girl.”

“Catherine?”

“Yeah.” Louis started to rub soothing circles on the bump, fingers splayed wide as they stroked the skin. “It’s not one of those wanky modern names, it’s traditional and feminine.”

“Yeah, I like that.” Harry’s own hands stroked around the sides of his bump, bumping with Louis’s. “I’d thought of Lily.”

Louis looked thoughtful for a few seconds then decided he liked the sound of it. “Yeah, that’s nice too. But why Lily?”

"It starts with an L. That’s probably the only reason …” Harry blushed and Louis swallowed the lump in his throat, a watery smile on his face.

"Well, when the baby pops out …”

“Pops out?” Harry interrupted. “I wouldn’t call this popping out.” He gestured towards his stomach.

“Ok, well, when you deliver if it’s a girl we can decide whether she looks like a Lily or a Catherine.”

“What about if I give you a son?” Harry could practically feel Louis inflate with pride at the mere idea. “What are you gonna call him?”

“I … I get to name him?” Louis’s eyes were wide and he was blinking rapidly.

“As long as I like the name you pick, yeah. I think his daddy should pick the name of his son.”

“Really?”

Harry nodded. He didn’t know why Louis picking the name for a son was important to him, but it just was.

“Well, I have an idea …”

“Yeah?”

“Isaac. But we’d call him Zak.”

Harry rubbed his bump gently, repeating the name over and over. “It’s good. Isaac. Zak Tomlinson.” Harry smiled and nodded at the sound of it.

Louis, by now, was practically exploding with pride and excitement. Yes, he was still scared and didn’t really know what to do. But now, with names ready, he was getting desperate to meet their baby. Louis continued to hold Harry, who began to shift awkwardly.

“Um … Louis?” Harry shifted again, feeling another contraction coming on. He pulled himself to his feet, being able to lean over on the arm of the chair and rock his hips as the contraction built felt surprisingly good. Louis was able to stand behind him and apply gentle pressure to his lower back, something which made him feel a bit better. This was what he needed, to be on his feet for a while. "Call … . mmmmm … the midwife.” He managed to moan out as the contraction built.

By the time the contraction was over Louis was back by his side and the phone was back in the cradle.

XX

“You’re doing so well Harry.” The midwife gently rubbed Harry’s back as his latest contraction passed. “You’re at ten centimetres. You can push whenever you like.”

“But I don’t need to push yet.” He almost cried in response.

Harry was aching, exhausted and had had enough. He was too hot, sweating, in pain and just wanted the baby out right now. He was past the point of being able to do anything more that lean against things and moan as the powerful contractions took him closer to the birth. He had been driven to his knees by the force of the pains, his right arm on the seat and his forehead on his arm. Louis was beside him, talking him through each wave of pain. Harry moaned loudly as the next one began, gripping the sofa and Louis’s hand, rocking his hips in a desperate effort to lesson the pain. It didn’t help any more.

All Louis could do, fifteen hours and so many minutes after Harry’s water had broken, was sit beside him and hold him. The contractions were barely two minutes apart and lasting over a minute. One was just finishing when Louis felt his cell phone buzz against his leg. Once he knew Harry was comfortable once more he let go of him and he pulled it open to see who it was. He’d texted the lads and their families earlier to let them know that the baby was on it’s way, so odds were it was one of them.

“Who is it?” Louis looked up at Harry and then wiped his brown with a damp flannel causing Harry to sigh in relief. Louis glanced down at the small screen.

"Niall.” He wiped the back of Harry’s neck with the cold flannel and then began to read the message. “I’m guessin you’ve not eaten since events began last night. I’ve got fooooooood for you both. Is there an infant yet?” Harry laughed despite how uncomfortable he was but he soon stopped and moaned, dropping his head back to the sofa and reaching for Louis’s hand.

“Ok baby.” Louis put his cell down and put his free hand to Harry’s back as Harry rocked his hips. “Breathe slowly, in and out.” Louis closed his eyes and wrapped himself around Harry, breathing through the pain with him and only letting go when he was sure it had passed. Ok, so he’d wanted a baby with Harry. He’d admit it; finally admit that maybe each time they had made love he was hoping it had happened. But he hadn’t really wanted Harry to go through this.

Eventually the contraction passed and Harry, once again, slumped into Louis’s arms. This time neither spoke. Louis just held him tightly; rocking him gently, and Harry closed his eyes and just tried to relax. The respite was all too brief.

"Louis?”

Louis turned and looked Harry in the eyes, and although he was obviously in a huge amount of pain, there was a new emotion behind them too. Excitement almost. Harry shifted his hips once more, making sure what he felt was right before he said anything. As he felt the next contraction build he knew he was, the pressure was immense.

“Louis?” Harry moaned, gritting his teeth to help fight against the natural urges of his body until Louis could get the midwifes attention. “I gotta push.”

XX

Two hours later Niall knocked on the door of Harry and Louis’s apartment. He had been at the café around the corner since ten that morning, waiting for the word to come over, that the baby had arrived. Since finding out that Harry had gone in to labour at eight the previous evening he had been unable to go back to sleep. And the text had finally come. It hadn’t given anything away. All it had said was: 'If you wanna meet it, you can come visit now.’ He’d immediately downed his drink, picked up the bag by his feet and walked to the house as fast as he could. He knocked on the door once then waited. When he had got there he was amazed by how quiet everything was. Harry had just given birth, where was the celebrating, the excitement? He was just considering knocking again when the door gently swung open to reveal …

Niall gasped. Louis was stood there with his hair all over the place. He was dressed in nothing but pyjama bottoms, holding a bundle of blankets. He was moving incredibly slowly and the rims of his eyes were red.

“Louis? Is …”

“He did it.” Louis sniffed and a tear trailed down his cheek. “He did it.”  
Louis gazed down at the bundle in his arms that was a baby, their baby, his eyes wide with amazement. All that could be seen was a little round face with rapidly blinking eyes and a small hand, the fingers outstretched. Louis was cradling the tiny child so gently, like it was the most fragile thing in the world.

Niall walked in to the room, gently closing the door behind him, and then followed Louis who had already begun to walk through up the stairs to the second floor of the house. He seemed like he was almost in some kind of daze. He didn’t seem to realise that he had walked straight through to their bedroom but Niall had followed blindly anyway. The bedroom door was wide open and the curtains were drawn. On the bed was Harry, on his back, fast asleep. He was propped up on a pile of pillows and wrapped safely in the comforter. His hair was damp and dishevelled, his face flushed and he was snoring gently.

“The midwives helped me give him a bath after it was over. The last hour nearly killed me.” Louis said. “He had such a hard time pushing, but he did it. And you should have seen his face when he held him for the first time.”

“Him?” Niall smiled. A boy. Yes, that seemed right somehow.

“Yeah.” Louis looked down at the small baby again, disbelief written all over his face. “A son. Zak.” Louis kissed the pink forehead of the child in his arms. “After he’d fed him for the first time he had a bath and then that was it, straight to sleep. He’s been lying there like that ever since.”

“Well, I would imagine that delivering a child is a very tiring thing.”

Louis smiled. “I was worn out just trying to keep him comfortable.”

The two men stood in silence, Niall looking from Harry to the baby and Louis unable to take his eyes from his newborn son.

“I brought you some food.” Niall put the bag on the corner of the bed and Louis blinked at it. His stomach rumbled. Had it really been over seventeen hours since he had eaten?

"Would you like me to hold him while you eat?”

“Zak.” Louis said, looking reluctantly at the food and then at Niall, knowing that he would have to put the baby down to eat, but not really wanting to. “He’s called Zak.” Niall nodded, holding out his arms. Louis took a few steps forward and reluctantly handed his tiny son over to Niall. "You gotta support his head. Ok?”

Niall accepted the tiny bundle and then sat gently on the end of the bed, trying not to disturb him. “He’s so light.“

"Yeah, he was six pounds two ounces. Tiny considering he was overdue as well.” Louis dived in to the bag and found plenty of juice and milk and two large portions of chocolate cake. Under that were four microwavable dishes filled with various things. Louis pulled out a carton of orange juice and a portion of the chocolate cake. He began to eat and drink.

Niall looked around the room at the small family. It was all just right.


End file.
